Steel Products
Electra commissions clean ironmaking pilot plant
Written by Laura Miller
April 1, 2024
Electra has commissioned a first-of-its kind, clean ironmaking pilot plant in Boulder, Colo.
To aid in the green production of steel, the Boulder-based startup has been developing its iron refining technology, which uses an electrochemical process with low temperatures and renewable energy. It is the first of its kind “to produce metallic iron from already mined, high-impurity, commercially stranded ores to accelerate decarbonization, sustainability, and circularity across the ore-to-steel value chain,” Electra said in a statement.
Iron ore supplier BHP, also an investor in Electra, is supplying the iron ore for the pilot plant.
“Clean iron produced from a wide variety of ore types is the key constraint to decarbonizing the steel industry sustainably. With support from our partners across the value chain, the pilot brings us closer to our goal of producing millions of tonnes of clean iron by the end of the decade,” stated Electra CEO and co-founder Sandeep Nijhawan.
In addition to BHP Ventures, those partners include Nucor, which invested in Electra in 2022, Amazon, the Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and others.
Commenting on the pilot plant, Noah Hanners, Nucor’s EVP of raw materials, said it “is a significant step towards a cleaner, more sustainable, and circular industry.”
“Electra’s pure iron metal is uniquely positioned to allow the upcycling of a broader range of steel scrap into higher-value sustainable steel products, improving the circularity and sustainability of the steel industry,” Hanners added.
Laura Miller
Read more from Laura MillerLatest in Steel Products
CRU: US longs prices remain mostly flat in October
CRU Senior Steel Analyst Alexandra Anderson shares insight into the current market for long steel products.
All stakeholders watching for impacts of dockworkers’ strike
All eyes are on the coastwide longshoremen's strike, with many scrambling to assess the situation and understand its implications for their businesses and the economy.
Bull Moose to expand US operations with $25M Missouri plant
Bull Moose Tube Co. (BMT) will expand its steel pipe and structure operations with a $25 million plant in Gerald, Mo., according to The Economic Times.
September energy market update
In this Premium analysis we cover oil and natural gas prices, drilling rig activity, and crude oil stock levels in North America. Energy prices and rig counts are advance indicators of demand for oil country tubular goods (OCTG), line pipe, and other steel products.
Active rig counts dip in US and in Canada
US rig counts remain near multi-year lows, which is the territory they have been in for the last three months. Canadian counts have edged lower in the past two weeks, slipping from a six-month high earlier this month.